


He's Remarkably Present For Being So Very Gone

by I_have_a_Mycroft_of_my_very_own



Series: Suilad Aran Thranduil [38]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 12:45:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3692829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_have_a_Mycroft_of_my_very_own/pseuds/I_have_a_Mycroft_of_my_very_own
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People were always there, even when they weren't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He's Remarkably Present For Being So Very Gone

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from a fanfic I didn't get around to reading, but it leaped out at me as I was scrolling through NCIS fics. And IDK why, but this happened... the idea that you can tell the memory of someone is present, by the reaction mention of that person gets out of someone else.

The thing Legolas had slowly understood about death is this. People are remarkably present, even when they’re so very gone.

His grandfather’s presence was the stifling silence that came whenever the Last Alliance was brought up within his father’s hearing. It was the pain and regret he could see upon his father’s face during those moments. It was the empty barrels dumped into the lake when the silence had begun to abate. His grandfather’s presence was everywhere, despite his grandfather being nowhere.

His grandmother’s presence was the sudden chill that came whenever the Dwarves were talked of in his father’s company. It was the pain and regret he could see upon his father’s face in those moments. It was the deafening silence that fell, and the splash of barrels falling into the lake. His grandmother’s presence was so noticeable, even though she was gone.

His mother’s presence was the smile that died a quick and sudden death upon his father’s face whenever someone mentioned Angmar in his father’s presence. It was the desolation that took that smile’s place. It was the horrified, painful silence that stole all sound from the air. It was the bumping and banging of barrels floating down the lake. His mother was remarkably present, despite being absent.

That was what Legolas had learned about death. That no one truly ever went away, the essence of them lingered, the echo of them remained, the memory of them endured. People were always there, even when they weren't.


End file.
